Heat exchangers often involve fluids flowing through conduits. The nature of the fluids passing through the heat exchangers and conduits, and the temperatures and other conditions present in the heat exchangers and conduits can lead to problems.
For example, various portions of the heat exchangers and conduits may become corroded as a result of the fluid, conditions or both. The corrosion can lead to leakage or breakage. Additionally, the heat exchangers and conduits may develop deposits as a result of materials in the fluid. The deposits may interfere with the flow of fluid through the heat exchangers and conduits and may also reduce the heat transfer capacity of same. Both of these problems are undesirable.
Many of these problems cannot be observed until after the heat exchanger has been online for some time. Furthermore, many of these problems can only be observed by removing and disassembling the heat exchanger and inspecting the conduits contained therein. The heat exchangers tend to be very large and can be quite costly. Additionally, removing the heat exchanger may require a process to shut down, which may impact a facility's production and output. Accordingly, it is crucial to avoid removing and disassembling a heat exchanger.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an apparatus or process which allows for the materials of the conduits and the heat exchanger to be tested under nearly identical process conditions apart from the heat exchanger.